Management system, management server, image forming apparatus, and management method

A management server which manages an image forming apparatus capable of communicating with a function providing apparatus via a network, the management server comprising:

• a monitoring condition transmission unit configured to transmit to the image forming apparatus a monitoring condition corresponding to information on a function of the image forming apparatus;
• a receiving unit configured to receive failure information from the image forming apparatus;
• an identification unit configured to identify, based on the failure information received from the image forming apparatus, whether a failure corresponding to the received failure information is attributable to the image forming apparatus or to the function providing apparatus;
• and
• a notification unit configured to issue a notification for arranging maintenance of the image forming apparatus according to the received failure information when the identification unit identifies that the failure is attributable to the image forming apparatus,
• wherein the management server does not perform, when the identification unit identifies that the failure is attributable to the function providing apparatus based on that the received failure information includes a failure code indicating a failure occurring in the function providing apparatus or a failure code having been notified by the function providing apparatus to the image forming apparatus, arrangement for maintenance of the image forming apparatus.

An image forming apparatus which communicates with a management server via a network, the image forming apparatus comprising:

• a monitoring unit configured to monitor a failure;
• a detection unit configured to detect addition of a function that uses a service provided by a function providing apparatus, which is different from the management server, by communicating with the function providing apparatus via the network;
• an added function transmission unit configured to transmit, in response to the addition of the function detected by the detection unit, to the management server information on the added function;
• a monitoring condition receiving unit configured to receive a monitoring condition, corresponding to the added function, returned from the management server;
• a setting unit configured to set the monitoring condition received by the monitoring condition receiving unit to be added to a monitoring condition of the monitoring unit;
• a result receiving unit configured to receive a processing result of the service used by the added function from the function providing apparatus;
• a generation unit configured to generate, when the monitoring unit has detected an occurrence of a failure corresponding to the monitoring condition and the failure is attributable to the function providing apparatus, failure information by which it is identified that the detected failure is attributable to the function providing apparatus, and to generate, when it is not identified that the failure is attributable to the function providing apparatus, failure information on the failure detected by the monitoring unit;
• and
• a transmission unit configured to transmit to the management server the failure information generated by the generation unit,
• wherein the generation unit generates, as failure information by which it is identified that the detected failure is attributable to the function providing apparatus, failure information including a failure code having been notified by the function providing apparatus when the added function is used.

A management method performed by a management server which manages an image forming apparatus capable of communicating with a function providing apparatus via a network, the method comprising:

• transmitting to the image forming apparatus a monitoring condition corresponding to information on a function of the image forming apparatus;
• receiving failure information from the image forming apparatus;
• identifying, based on the failure information received from the image forming apparatus, whether a failure corresponding to the received failure information is attributable to the image forming apparatus or to the function providing apparatus;
• and
• issuing a notification for arranging maintenance of the image forming apparatus according to the received failure information when the identification unit identifies that the failure is attributable to the image forming apparatus,
• wherein the management server does not perform, when the identifying step identifies that the failure is attributable to the function providing apparatus based on that the received failure information includes a failure code indicating a failure occurring in the function providing apparatus or a failure code having been notified by the function providing apparatus to the image forming apparatus, arrangement for maintenance of the image forming apparatus.

A method performed by an image forming apparatus that communicates with a management server via a network, the method comprising:

• monitoring a failure;
• detecting addition of a function that uses a service provided by a function providing apparatus, which is different from the management server, by communicating with a function providing apparatus via the network, wherein the function is added to the image forming apparatus according to upgrading of firmware of the image forming apparatus or addition of an application to the image forming apparatus;
• transmitting, in response to the addition of the function detected by the detection unit, to the management server information on the detected added function;
• receiving a monitoring condition corresponding to the added function returned from the management server;
• setting the received monitoring condition to be added to the monitoring condition;
• receiving a processing result of the service used by the added function from the function providing apparatus;
• generating, when an occurrence of a failure corresponding to the monitoring condition is detected and the failure is attributable to the function providing apparatus, failure information by which it is identified that the detected failure is attributable to the function providing apparatus, and generating, when it is not identified that the failure is attributable to the function providing apparatus, failure information on the detected failure;
• and
• transmitting to the management server the generated failure information, wherein the generation unit generates, as failure information by which it is identified that the detected failure is attributable to the function providing apparatus, failure information including a failure code having been notified by the function providing apparatus when the added function is used.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute a method for an image forming apparatus communicating with a management server via a network, the method comprising:

• monitoring a failure;
• detecting addition of a function that uses a service provided by a function providing apparatus, which is different from the management server, by communicating with a function providing apparatus via the network, wherein the function is added to the image forming apparatus according to upgrading of firmware of the image forming apparatus or addition of an application to the image forming apparatus;
• transmitting, in response to the addition of the function detected by the detection unit, to the management server information on the detected added function;
• receiving a monitoring condition corresponding to the added function returned from the management server according to the information transmitted;
• setting the received monitoring condition to be added to the monitoring condition;
• receiving a processing result of the service used by the added function from the function providing apparatus;
• generating, when an occurrence of a failure corresponding to the monitoring condition is detected and the failure is attributable to the function providing apparatus, failure information by which it is identified that the detected failure is attributable to the function providing apparatus, and generating, when it is not identified that the failure is attributable to the function providing apparatus, failure information on the detected failure;
• and
• transmitting to the management server the generated failure information, wherein the generation unit generates, as failure information by which it is identified that the detected failure is attributable to the function providing apparatus, failure information including a failure code having been notified by the function providing apparatus when the added function is used.